Here’s a headline for you: U.S. teachers are joining the “battle against disinformation.” That’s right, the same public education system that struggles to teach basic math and reading is now waging war against fake news. Because apparently, shaping young minds to think critically isn’t enough—we need educators to play fact-checker, too. But the real question is: who gets to decide what’s true and what’s “disinformation”?

Spoiler alert: it’s not you, the parents. Instead, this crusade is being led by an elite class of educators, activists, and tech overlords who think they know better than everyone else. Let’s dive into this latest initiative and why it should have everyone asking tough questions about freedom, bias, and the role of education.

What’s the Plan?

According to the Financial Times, teachers across the country are incorporating lessons on “disinformation” into their classrooms. The idea is to teach students how to spot fake news, recognize bias, and navigate the flood of information online. Sounds harmless, right? After all, critical thinking is an essential skill in today’s world. But here’s where it gets tricky: what happens when the people teaching these lessons have their own biases?

Take, for example, the way some educators define “disinformation.” For many on the Left, anything that challenges their worldview falls into this category. Disagree with climate change policies? That’s disinformation. Question the effectiveness of lockdowns or vaccines? Definitely disinformation. Believe that the 2020 election had irregularities worth investigating? You guessed it—disinformation.

The danger here isn’t just about what students are taught to reject; it’s about what they’re taught to accept without question.

As with most progressive initiatives, this battle against disinformation isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s being fueled by grants, partnerships, and programs from big tech companies and NGOs. Facebook, Google, and other Silicon Valley giants are all too happy to fund “media literacy” programs in schools. Why? Because controlling the narrative isn’t just about suppressing certain voices—it’s about ensuring that the next generation trusts theirs.

Let’s not forget that these same companies have a long history of bias. Facebook suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story. Google’s search algorithms favor certain viewpoints. And don’t even get me started on Twitter’s pre-Musk censorship regime. Now, these organizations want to “educate” your kids on what’s true and what’s not? Forgive me if I’m skeptical.

At the heart of this issue is a fundamental question: who should decide what kids are taught? Progressives argue that educators and experts are better equipped to handle these delicate topics. But conservatives know better. Parents—not teachers, tech companies, or bureaucrats—should have the final say in what their children learn.

Unfortunately, this latest push against disinformation is yet another example of the education system sidelining parents. When schools dictate what’s true and false, they strip families of their ability to teach their own values and perspectives. Instead of empowering students to think for themselves, these lessons risk creating a generation of parrots who regurgitate what they’re told.

So, what’s the alternative? It’s simple: teach students how to think, not what to think. Instead of labeling certain ideas as “disinformation” and others as gospel, educators should focus on fostering critical thinking skills. Encourage debate. Teach students to evaluate sources. And most importantly, let them arrive at their own conclusions.

This approach requires humility—something the current education establishment seems to lack. It means admitting that no one has a monopoly on truth, and that even the most well-meaning teacher can have blind spots.

The battle against disinformation is a noble idea in theory, but in practice, it’s a slippery slope. When educators act as arbiters of truth, they risk stifling the very curiosity and independence they claim to promote. Worse, they turn schools into ideological battlegrounds where students are told what to believe instead of being taught how to think.

America doesn’t need more gatekeepers deciding what’s true. We need an education system that respects diversity of thought and empowers students to navigate the world with confidence and curiosity. Anything less is just another form of indoctrination.